FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH LORAIN, OHIO Welcome to First Lutheran! We re glad you re here. NATIVITY OF OUR LORD CHRISTMAS DAY December 25, 2018 10:00am GATHERING P RELUDE Lo, How a Rose E er Blooming (arr. J. William Greene) W ELCOME I NTROIT Hodie Christus natus est (Brian Wentzel) Words in italics are spoken by the leader. Words in bold are spoken by all. Hymn # s are the large numbers in the main part of the hymnal, located under your seat. Hodie Christus natus est. Hodie Salvator apparuit. Hodie in terra canunt angeli, laetantur archangeli. Hodie exultant justi, dicentes: Gloria in excelsis Deo. Today Christ is born. Today the savior appears. Today the angels sing on earth, and the archangels rejoice Today the righteous exult, saying: Glory to God in the highest. G REETING The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. P RAYER OF THE D AY Amen. G ATHERING H YMN Good Christian Friends, Rejoice (Hymn #288) The assembly is seated.
2 WORD FIRST READING ISAIAH 52:7-10 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns. 8Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion. 9Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. ANTHEM Let All Together Praise Our God (Hugo Distler) Let all together praise our God before the highest throne; today God opens heaven again and sends the only Son. Unlock the door again today that leads to paradise; the angel bars the way no more. To God let praises rise. Nikolaus Herman SECOND READING MATTHEW 1:18-25 18Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
3 22All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, God is with us. 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. H YMN O Little Town of Bethlehem (Hymn #279) T HIRD R EADING I SAIAH 11:1-4 A, 6-9 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. 6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder s den. 9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
4 ANTHEM Lions and Oxen (Joel Martinson) Lions and oxen will feed in the hay, leopards will join with the lambs as they play, wolves will be pastured with cows in the glade blood will not darken the earth that God made. Little child whose bed is straw, take new lodgings in my heart. Bring the dream Isaiah saw: life redeemed from fang and claw. Peace will pervade more than forest and field: God will transfigure the violence concealed deep in the heart and in systems of gain, ripe for the judgment the Lord will ordain. Little child who bed is straw, take new lodgings in my heart. Bring the dream Isaiah saw: justice purifying law. Nature reordered to match God s intent, nations obeying the call to repent, all of creation completely restored, filled with the knowledge and love of the Lord! Little child whose bed is straw, take new lodgings in my heart. Bring the dream Isaiah saw: knowledge, wisdom, worship, awe. Thomas Troeger FOURTH READING LUKE 2:1-14 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping
5 watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! H YMN The First Noel (Hymn #300) F IFTH R EADING H EBREWS 1:1-12 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5For to which of the angels did God ever say, You are my Son; today I have begotten you? Or again, I will be his Father, and he will be my Son? 6And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, Let all God's angels worship him. 7Of the angels he says, He makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire. 8But of the Son he says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. 9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. 10And, In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing;
6 12like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end. H YMN Once in Royal David s City (Hymn #269) Verses 1-3: Soloist Verse 4: All S IXTH R EADING J OHN 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father s only son, full of grace and truth. H YMN Of the Father s Love Begotten (Hymn #295) P RAYERS OF I NTERCESSION Word made flesh, hear our prayer.
7 P EACE The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you. The people may greet one another with a sign of Christ s peace, and may say Peace be with you. or similar words. The offering plates will not be passed today, but you may leave your offering in the place by the sanctuary doors. MEAL G REAT T HANKSGIVING D IALOG Music on page 152 The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. P REFACE H OLY, H OLY, H OLY L ORD Music on page 153 Holy, holy, holy Lord, Lord God of pow r and might, heav n and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. T HANKSGIVING AT THE T ABLE Let us proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. We look with hope for his coming. Come, Lord Jesus. Bring the gift of peace on earth. Come, Holy Spirit. one God, now and forever. Amen. L ORD S P RAYER
8 C OMMUNION Lamb of God (Page 154) P OST -C OMMUNION B LESSING Amen. P RAYER AFTER C OMMUNION Amen. SENDING B LESSING Amen. S ENDING S ONG Joy to the World (Hymn #267) D ISMISSAL Thanks be to God. P OSTLUDE Good Christian Friends, Rejoice (arr. J. William Greene) Service music is reproduced under Augsburg Fortress license #SB110765.